The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Liz Kershaw on August 13, 2015, 12:38:12 pm
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we have been sheep keeping for a year now and have acquired some surplus chemicals (Clik) and medicines (Metacam) plus syringes. We want to dispose of them ethically and ecologically - what do more experienced smallholders do with similar stuff.
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I asked my vet if I could bring used syringes, outdated meds etc back to them for disposal and they said yes. I haven't done so yet because what I have isn't bulky and isn't the sort of thing that will rot or go smelly, so I just have a heavy plastic shopping bag hung on a hook in a safe place and put it all in there to be dropped at the vet once the bag is full.
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We keep a sharps box for needles.
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A screw top jam jar here for needles. I give it to the vet when full, even when we had a dairy herd it took years to fill.
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I bought a shaprs box from the vet. It seems fairly expensive for a plastic box but what you are paying for is the disposal. It will take us a long time to fill it though.
With regards to clik, I started a thread a couple of weeks ago asking people what they do with their unwanted meds, it was clik that I particularly wanted to know about as I have a couple of half used bottles that are out of date.
In the end I phoned the manufacturer and all they said was to phone your local authority who might advise you to take it to your local hospital. Well I haven't yet phone the LA but I can't imagine what the hospital will have to say if I turn up with sheep pour on :)
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You can keep out of date meds to a minimum by always asking for the longest use by date, and working out carefully how much you need. If you don't have many animals, then ask the vet to decant you enough doses for the stock you have - most vets keep an opened bottle of whatever for smaller breeders. Meds are expensive to manufacture and to buy and dispose of so keeping waste to a minimum is worth doing.
For needles, jam jar or sharps box - you can buy them online or from the vet - and negotiate with your vet a price for them to take them. They have to pay to get their sharps disposed of, so expect to pay something. Ask as well if they will take any out of date meds/pour-ons etc. Don't put them in domestic rubbish.
If you haven't bought your sharps and meds from the vet, then you can't expect them to take them for disposal.
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My vet supplies quantities of medicines that I need ready drawn up, I have a sharps box from them that I paid for but don't pay for disposal once full. I was going to ask my dairy farmer next door what he does with his surplus meds and chemicals otherwise I will contact the local authority as suggested on the container :excited:
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http://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/BVA_Good_practice_guide_to_handling_veterinary_waste_in_England_and_Wales.pdf (http://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/BVA_Good_practice_guide_to_handling_veterinary_waste_in_England_and_Wales.pdf)
http://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/BVA_Scotland_Waste_poster.pdf (http://www.bva.co.uk/uploadedFiles/BVA_Scotland_Waste_poster.pdf)
The guidelines on disposal vary between countries. See links above. In Scotland most out of date meds, containers, syringes, gloves etc may be disposed off through the normal waste handling stream but you may need to check with your local council.